| River Fal | |
|---|---|
 Flushing, from Fish Strand Quay, Falmouth, with rainbow | |
 | |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | |
| • location | Goss Moor |
| Mouth | |
• location | Carrick Roads |
| Length | 29 km (18 mi) |
TheRiver Fal (Standard Written Form:Dowr Fala)[citation needed] flows throughCornwall, rising at Pentevale onGoss Moor (betweenSt. Columb andRoche) and reaching theEnglish Channel atFalmouth. On or near the banks of the Fal are the castles ofPendennis andSt Mawes as well asTrelissick Garden. The River Fal separates theRoseland peninsula from the rest of Cornwall. Like most of its kind on the south coast of Cornwall and Devon, the Fal estuary is a classicria, or drowned river valley. The Fal estuary from Tregony to the Truro River was originally calledHafaraell (Cornish:Havarel, meaningfallow place).
The origin and meaning of the name of the river are unknown. The earliest occurrences of the name are in documents from AD 969 and 1049.Falmouth is named after the River Fal.[1] The wordFal inCornish may refer to a prince, or perhaps to a spade or shovel. Robert Williams notes these meanings in his 1865 Cornish dictionary.[2] However, he notes FÂL as the word PÂL after undergoing aspirate mutation; and a word FAL meaning prince, but apparently a ghost word. He does not link either of these to the name of the river Fal.
The river mouth and Falmouth harbour served as an anchorage in the immediate years after theSecond World War for scores of laid-upRoyal Navy vessels (including battleships, carriers, and cruisers) awaiting sale for scrap. Its size and depth of water made it ideal for this use.[citation needed]
The River Fal suffered a severe, high-profile pollution accident in February 1992, when a nearbytin mine was flooded. The river turned red and an extensive cleaning-up operation was needed to decontaminate the water.[3] During times of reduced global trade, ships aremothballed in the upper parts of the estuary of the River Fal.[4] The ships, using the Fal estuary due to its depth and protection from the elements,[4] keep a skeleton crew for ship maintenance.[5] A large number of ships were moored in the estuary during theGreat Recession, as falling global trade meant a smaller demand for cargo ships. Falmouth Harbour authority charges companies for usage of the river, until the ships are either reactivated, scrapped or sold.[5]
The source can be traced to Pentevale, (more correctly Pentivale[6]) (Cornish:Pennfenten Fala, meaninghead spring of the Fal). The catchment of the Fal is predominantly Devonian slates, shales and grits, with granite in the upper reaches. Land use is mainly agricultural with some woodland.[7]
Tributaries of the River Fal include theTruro River,River Kennal,Penryn River andCarnon River. Several tidal creeks discharge into the River Fal includingMylor Creek,Pill Creek,Penpol Creek, thePercuil River andRestronguet Creek. The Fal/Truro waterway is navigable between Falmouth and Truro. The River Fal is crossed by theKing Harry Ferry, a vehicularchain ferry that links the villages ofFeock andPhilleigh approximately equidistant between Truro and Falmouth. The river flows through theCarrick Roads, a large ria that creates anatural harbour. Here, pedestrian ferries connect Falmouth with St Mawes.[8]
FiveSites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) have been designated along the River Fal. The river rises onGoss Moor which is both aNational Nature Reserve and part of a SSSI. The wetland habitats and western dry heath communities were formed, since theBronze Age, by the mining of thealluvial tin deposits.[9] South Terras Mine SSSI is also aGeological Conservation Review (GCR) site of national importance and was once a commercialuranium mine. The Crowhill Valley SSSI betweenGrampound andSt Stephen is anancient woodland dominated bysessile oak on the slopes, and ofwillow andaldercarr on the floodplain which has a rich ground flora. The species list includes many ancient woodland indicators includinglichens such asParmelia endochlora.[10]
The Upper Fal Estuary and Woods SSSI is mostly within the tidal area of the river betweenTregony andTurnaware Point and includesmudflats,salt marsh and ancient woodland. The mudflats support nationally important numbers ofblack-tailed godwit as well as large populations of wintering waders and wildfowl such ascurlew andgolden plover. A series of transition zones occur from the salt marsh toscrub, where young trees attempt to grow despite the threat of the highest tides, to ancient woodland on the higher slopes. These zones and the estuary itself are important forotters.[11] The lowest part of the Fal along with theHelford River is designated as the Fal and HelfordSpecial Area of Conservation under theHabitats Directive for the shallow bays and inlets, sandbanks and mudflats, and for its salt marshes. Part of the area is also designated as anImportant Plant Area and a SSSI (Lower Fal & Helford Intertidal) for the relatively undisturbed transitions from tidal mud through saltmarsh and scrub to woodland.[12][13][14]
Three institutional landowners that own land within Upper Fal Estuary and Woods SSSI include theDuchy of Cornwall, theNational Trust (for example, theTrelissick estate) and theDiocese of Truro (via itsDiocesan Board of Finance).[15][16]
The Fal has been described asthe most polluted river in England. in 2021, raw sewage was discharged straight into the river for over 7,500 hours as a consequence of the 100-year old sewage system being overwhelmed by heavy rain.[17]
The River Fal is accessible for kayaking, sailing and other watersports.[18][19]
50°15′N4°57′W / 50.250°N 4.950°W /50.250; -4.950
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